Levantine Arabic Foundations

Beginner Spoken Arabic Course - Level 1

Our Mission

At Lingua Verna, we promote access to the Arab world through culturally relevant programs that make learning spoken Arabic Fast, Fun, and Affordable, while paying living wages to our partners in the Middle East.

Course Overview

Virtual Classes. 13 weeks, 2 sessions per week, flexible scheduling (see below!).

Adult program for Total Beginners or False Beginners (those who have some exposure to Arabic but would benefit from revisiting the basics).

Classes start Sunday, 5 January 2025 (but they fill up well before that) & end the week of 30 March.

Led by a native Arabic-speaking instructor. Teaches the Levantine dialect spoken in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Palestine.

Discounted to $400 via this page only (normally $500!).

Milestones You'll Achieve

Throughout the 3 months of Levantine Arabic Foundations, you'll move through 3 distinct phases, each with unique milestones.

Phase 1 - Arabic ABCs & 123s. In just 3 weeks, you'll master the Arabic Alphabet, including the pronunciation quirks of the spoken dialect, plus your base 50 words.

Phase 2 - Building Blocks. This is our 5-week framework for mastering the 250+ most important words and basic grammar. By the end, you'll have total command of the essentials needed for every-day living.

Phase 3 - Flawless First Impressions. 4 weeks later, you'll be having full conversations in Levantine Arabic with confidence and ease.

Our Program Maximizes...

Affordability. No program offers small-group speaking opportunities with native speakers at our price (40% below market average).

Flexibility. Our unique combination of large-group instruction & small-group conversation allows our program to fit any schedule (see below).

Speaking. A full hour is devoted to Arabic conversations each week.

Community. Build deep friendships with like-minded peers who meet virtually each week for small-group, instructor-led discussions.

Here's How It Works

We use a flexible scheduling system that is unique to our program. Each week consists of two sessions:

Session 1 - Instruction. The week starts with a live, large-group instructional call where you'll learn the new concepts & vocab for that week. If you miss it, no worries! We record it live so you can play it back at your convenience,

Session 2 - Conversation. Pick a small-group time during the week that works best with your schedule. That's when you'll meet with your small cohort of 4-6 students and your Arabic instructor who will help you apply what you learned in session 1.

We call these discussion sessions "Ahwa Online", taken from the Arabic word for "coffee shop", because these really do feel like meeting up with friends to chat over coffee.

Flexible Scheduling

United States. We provide times that work throughout the United States, regardless of time zone. The below schedule is in EST.

Europe & MENA. For groups meeting 1-2pm & 2-3pm EST, which is 6-7pm & 7-8pm CET, we give priority to Europe- and MENA-based participants

Session 1 - Instruction

Sunday: 1-2pm or 7-8pm (your choice!), large-group instructional call for teaching new concepts and vocab.

Monday (optional): Did you miss the Sunday call? No worries! Use this time to watch the recording of the teaching so you don't fall behind.

Session 2 - Conversation

You'll sign up for a small-group time slot below that works best for you!

**All conversation classes are small groups of 4-6 students. And they're also recorded in case you miss one!

Tuesday: 1-2pm // 2-3pm // 6-7pm // 7-8pm // 8-9pm // 9-10pm // 10-11pm

Wednesday: 1-2pm / 2-3pm / 6-7pm // 7-8pm // 8-9pm // 9-10pm // 10-11pm

Thursday: 1-2pm // 2-3pm // 6-7pm // 7-8pm // 8-9pm // 9-10pm // 10-11pm

Sample Schedule

Session 1 - Instruction
Sunday: 6-7pm, large-group call for teaching new concepts and vocab.

Monday (optional): Did you miss the Sunday call? No worries! Use this time to watch the recording of the teaching so you don't fall behind.

Session 2 - Conversation (Sign up for the time slot that works best for you)

Tuesday: 6-7pm, Group 1 // 7-8pm, Group 2 // 8-9pm, Group 3

Wednesday: 6-7pm, Group 4 // 7-8pm, Group 5

Thursday: 7-8pm, Group 6 // 8-9pm, Group 7
Saturday: 10-11am, Group 8 // 11am-12pm, Group 9

*All session 2 classes are small conversation groups of 4-6 students. And they're also all recorded in case you miss one!

Studio-Quality Content: CLICK HERE TO VIEW

We spared no expense in the production of our content. Those considering the program are invited to view representative samples of our short-story video content at the above link.

Best part is, we give you all this content FREE. That's right, we'll never charge you a penny to use our material (most companies make you pay for an outdated dusty textbook on top of tuition!).

Zero-Risk Guarantee

We want to give you total comfort in this decision to invest in your future. Just enroll, select your schedule, meet your instructor, attend the first few weeks, and make sure this course is perfect for you.

Then, if you participate in those classes and are not satisfied with the quality of the program, we will refund 100% of your payment, no questions asked. See "Terms of Use" for further details.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Experience Do I Need?

None! This program is for total beginners, but it is also perfect for "False Beginners", meaning people with some exposure to Arabic (whether through hearing it at home growing, up or taking a course in school) who could use a refresher on the basics as they relate to the spoken Levantine dialect.

What is Levantine Arabic?

Arabic is what we call a "diglossic" language, meaning the spoken and written versions have to be learned independently. Furthermore, the dialects (i.e. spoken versions) of the language change drastically by region, so when you want to learn to speak Arabic, you have to pick a dialect!

We specialize in teaching Levantine Arabic, which is the dialect spoken in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Palestine. Whenever there are unique characteristics by country, much like there might be regional differences within the US, we highlight those differences so you can practice the exact version of the dialect you want to learn!

What Equipment Do I Need?

Any Device With Internet. ALL the course content is available on our website, providing maximum ease of use. Even a phone will work! Though our content is optimized for a computer, laptop, or tablet.

How Much Does It Cost?

Our normal fee is $500, but through this link, you'll pay a single payment of just $400, which is 40% below the market average! With that payment, you'll get full access to all the course material, meaning we won't charge you a penny for textbooks or other content.